Did You Know?: Purdue Club Sports

February 21, 2013

Members of the Purdue Fencing Club practice at the Córdova
Recreational Sports Center. Fencing is one of 30
club sports that are available through Purdue's
Club Sports Program. (Purdue University
photo/Andrew Hancock)
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Faculty and staff have the opportunity to try a new sport or
rekindle an old hobby while meeting students and making new friends through
Purdue's Club Sports Program.

Club sports are non-NCAA competing sports that provide a level
of competition between intramurals and NCAA. Sports clubs compete against teams
from nearby colleges and universities, and they even compete at the regional
and national level.

Thirty club sports are available through the program, with an
average of 45 members to each group. The Purdue Club Sports Program is housed
in the Division of Recreational Sports.

Clubs range from classic sports, such as volleyball, soccer
and running, to activities like sailing, fencing, karate and trap and skeet.
Though the clubs are predominantly made up of undergraduate and graduate
students, faculty and staff are also welcome and encouraged to join.

Josh Williams, senior in computer science and Club Sports
Council co-chair of communication and club development, says the perspectives
and experience of faculty and staff add a new element to the clubs.

"I would like to see more faculty and staff get involved
and participate," he says. "I think it would just bring a whole new
dimension to the atmosphere. Club sports are wonderful in that they are open
and that you can participate at any age."

Daniel Leaird, senior research engineer in the School of
Electrical and Computer Engineering and the staff advisor of the Club Sports
Council and the Karate Club, says he enjoys the ways that karate pushes his
physical and mental abilities.

"The physical aspect of the sport is the easy part,"
he says. "The mental focus is a challenge to me that is very different
from what I'm doing at work."

To join a club sport, faculty and staff must have a current
membership at the Córdova Recreational Sports Center and pay the fees determined
by the individual clubs. Though competition may be restricted for faculty and
staff in some clubs, all practices and learning opportunities are open to
participation.

Club sports are also nondiscriminatory, meaning that they
cannot keep anyone from joining. Teams can hold tryouts to differentiate skill
levels and to form competitive teams, but everyone at Purdue is allowed to join
the clubs.

Leaird, who has been associated with the Karate Club for 18
years, joined the club with no outside experience.

"When I first came to Purdue as a graduate student, I
wanted to get myself back into shape," he says. "I started off not
knowing anything about the sport, and the group helped me get started."

Brendan Melnick, a junior in mechanical engineering and Williams'
co-chair, says some sports, such as men's gymnastics, will even take beginners
to competition.

"When it comes to gymnastics, which is a sport that many
think would require previous experience to compete, we actually bring
individuals who have very little experience," he says. "All that we
ask is that they compete in one event. We spend the time to train them until
they feel comfortable going out and performing a basic routine."

Depending on the sport, faculty and staff members may be able
to compete in alumni divisions.

"In men's gymnastics, as long as you have a degree from
somewhere, you are able to compete on the alumni team," Melnick says.
"The alumni team is always very good -- it's like the superstars from the
college division who just could never give the sport up."

Though many club sports do have a competitive focus, and
successfully perform at regional and national levels of competition, there are
also a number of instructional clubs that place a higher emphasis on learning
the sport than competing. For example, Purdue Outing Club teaches beginners the
basics of climbing, kayaking, caving and other outdoor sports to prepare them
to take trips with the group.

No matter the activity, Leaird says faculty and staff can
enjoy the camaraderie and learning environment provided by club sports.

"It doesn't matter if you are older or new to the sport,
try out a club sport," he says. "The students are a phenomenal group
to get to know, and you can get involved and try something new. "